She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
She says: « Look at the world through the eyes of a woman that holds a child in her hands! » – And: « We urge Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to join the Mine Ban Treaty and help rid the world of antipersonnel landmines ».
Jemma Hasratyan – Armenia
Dr Hasratian works as President for the Armenian Association of Women with University Education / AAWUE Center for Gender Studies and holds a Ph.D. in Education.
She works also for the Armenian National Committee of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and is representing it.
Linked to our presentation of Armenian Association of Women with University Education, and to our presentation of ICBL, both on January 2, 2006.
Also linked to our presentation of The History of Anti-Landmine Efforts on January 2, 2006.
The sphere of her scholarly interests includes strategy of education policy, research-methodological and programmatic support to reform of the system of general education in Armenia in the transition period as well as issues of societal transformation, women’s political transformation and conflict resolution. Under her leadership over 70 new textbooks and manuals have been created for schools. She is the author of numerous research papers and editor of a number of monographs on educational issues.
Jemma Hasratyan’s engagement in peace building activities was triggered by the Karabakh conflict. Aware of the need for armed hostilities to stop, she became active in women’s dialogue and in a women’s association that was one of the first women’s NGOs established after Armenia gained independence. Within this framework, Jemma persevered in carrying out a dialogue with Azeri women. This took place during the most difficult years of military hostility, when all and any dialogue-oriented efforts seemed to be unrealistic and even dangerous. (see NEWW).
Jemma Hasratyan writes: There are thirteen women who have important slots on proportional party lists in the upcoming elections. In general, these are women with experience in public political life — Hermine Naghdalyan and Hranush Hakobyan on the Republican Party list, Alvard Petrossyan and Armenuhi Hovhanissyan on the ARF (Dashnaktsutiun) list, Ludmila Harutiunyan from the Dignity, Democracy, Fatherland bloc, Emma Khudabashyan — the Justice (Artarutyun) bloc, Tamara Poghosyan – the Orinats Yerkir Party, Anahit Zhamkochyan and Hranush Kharatyan – Raffi Hovhannisyan’s bloc (this bloc withdrew from the election two days before the deadline), Shamiram Aghabekyan — the LDPA, etc. But women’s movement leaders don’t anticipate that these elections will be any different from previous ones.
“Women aren’t prepared for it. When you run for office, you must understand the method, the whole process of organization. It’s a science, a woman can’t enter a race without preparing for at least a year. That is why even educated women lose out, because they don’t know how to organize an election campaign. On the other hand, the election techniques that men employ are unacceptable for women,” says Jemma Hasratyan, chair of the Association of Women with University Education. (Read more on Hetq Online).
Suren Deheryan of ‘ArmeniaNow’ writes: Last summer in one of Yerevan’s maternity hospitals a newborn girl named Liana was abandoned. The child was healthy. But conditions in the mother’s home were not. No electricity because of unpaid debts. An income of $12 a month to feed the mother and Liana’s two sisters, ages four and six.Liana’s father had been unemployed for four years. He left to find work in Moscow six months before the baby was born. But he failed to get work and could not afford to return to Yerevan. So the mother escaped from the hospital leaving Liana behind rather than face the difficulty of trying to care for her.
The hospital kept Liana for a month, then she was either adopted or turned over to an orphanage; the hospital isn’t sure. An estimated 5,000 families in Armenia with children less than one year old face such conditions as Liana’s parents. And such conditions are one reason why the birth rate has decreased by almost three times in the past decade. « During 10 years this is the first year when there was no decrease in birth rate in the republic, but there also was no increase, » says president of the Association of Women with University Education Jemma Hasratyan. « Armenian families realize that it is necessary to have a second or third child, but it is impossible because of lack of money. » One year ago the Hayastan All-Armenia Fund and 30 women’s public organizations established « Ororots » (cradle) a project aimed at bringing relief to families such as Liana’s. (Read the rest on ArmeniaNow).
links:
Jagiellonian University in Krakow;
ICBL;
UNECE – Report Economic Commission for Europe.